It’s unfortunately that time of the year again folks: midterms. It is finally time to actually look at your notes to see what you’ve been learning in your most dreaded class (I bet you are wishing you didn’t discover the option to iMessage via your laptop while taking notes in class.) Sadly enough, it is also time to surrender your four nights a week dedication to the local bar as well. Let’s be real, though. Study sessions are really just a time to be filled with distractions instead of actually doing anything productive because in reality, procrastination will always be more fun than staring at your books for hours on end. I figured I’d help your mind wander to other places while your studying for midterms, so hopefully reading this article is your first distraction.
1. Netflix
Because who wouldn’t want to watch Frank Underwood dominate Washington D.C. in House of Cards for hours on end? Or watch Lorelai and Rory Gilmore own the most epic mother-daughter relationship of our time. But what would be Netflix without watching Piper Chapman survive in Litchield prison with the lovely Alex Vause, Crazy Eyes and Red? Netflix is a guaranteed distraction, so if you are trying to study, I suggest not going anywhere near it. Don’t hesistate to grab a pint of Ben & Jerry’s out of the freezer, though, and dive into a world beyond the four walls of the library.
2. Your Phone
Your phone may or may not be the biggest distraction of all. Why is it that whenever we sit down to begin studying we are suddenly bombarded with 50 text messages at once? Group chat overload, much? Or why is it that whenever we decide to do a quick Insta feed skim, we end up scrolling through pictures (that in reality we really don’t care about) for 30 minutes? Or why is it that we suddenly feel the need to call home and have a one-hour catch-up conversation with our moms right when studying just becomes “to much to handle.” And of course, how many times can you grab your phone to see what time it is, just to find out that only two minutes have passed since you last checked? And finally the best of all: you think you are all slick and productive because you put your phone on silent, but in reality you check it every 30 seconds to see if someone texted you since it won’t ring if they do. If you want to actually study for midterms, I suggest leaving the phone at home.
3. Your Computer
So you decide to quickly check your Facebook notifications, but end up somehow creeping on your boyfriends’ sister’s mother’s uncles’ cousins’ page. You ask yourself, “How the hell did I even get here?” Or you find yourself stalking that random girl from high school that you literally haven’t seen since graduation. Or how about when you take on the task of creeping on all your Facebook photos from back in ’08 just to remind you of any other time when you weren’t studying. Then you want to be somewhat professional and check your email, 50 times in two minutes. It’s as if you are awaiting an email from a celebrity or something. The computer just offers so many possibilities: commerce, entertainment, information, social networking. In the amount of time it would take you to read a chapter of your history book, you could read about RHONJ start Teresa Giudice’s 15 month prison sentence, buy a LBD for Saturday night, quote tweets to all your friends on Twitter and read that really important BuzzFeed that tells you 10 ways to get a boyfriend. I suggest printing out your notes and refrain from studying off your computer. That’s if you want to get an “A” at least.
4. Your Friends
Who actually has a friend that is a good study buddy? No one. Midterms and finals week is just an excuse to host the social event of the year in the library. Your MacBook party (covered with tons of stickers, of course) goes from a chance for everyone to “study together” to the most intense gossip session of the week. Because realistically, what you are all wearing to the frat party on Friday night is way more important than any exam you will take in college. How many times can you all interrupt each other over the most irrelevant things? If you actually want to pass your midterms, I suggest hiding away in the quiet section of the library instead.
5. The Physical Necessities
“I’d rather sleep than study right now.” How many times have you blurted out this phrase as you sit in the library. Why is it that you suddenly become the most tired you’ve ever been in your life the second you sit down to begin studying. Or how about the hungriest man alive? All of a sudden you throw out the group text to see who wants to get dinner with you or you start intensely studying foodnetwork.com to salivate over all the pictures of food. Sleeping and eating will always be a top priority, because let’s be honest, eating a cheeseburger seems way better than “studying” for biochem.